Western Range (USSF): Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Tom.Reding (talk | contribs) m WP:GenFixes, ref cleanup, parse authN/edN, cmn/reflist|2/3->30/20em using AWB |
Start clean up & history |
||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
{{for|the mountain range of the West Coast of North America|Coast Mountains}} |
{{for|the mountain range of the West Coast of North America|Coast Mountains}} |
||
{{generalize|date=July 2013}} |
{{generalize|date=July 2013}} |
||
The '''Western Range (WR)''' |
The '''Western Range (WR)'''{{sfn|Federation of American Scientists}} is the [[space launch range]] that supports the [[rocket launch site|major launch head]] at [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]].<ref name="127-1 ch1">{{cite web|url=http://snebulos.mit.edu/projects/reference/NASA-Generic/EWR/99ewr-c1.pdf |title=Chapter 1: Eastern and Western Range Safety Policies and Processes 31 December 1999 Change to 1997 EWR |accessdate=2008-08-31 |format=PDF }}</ref>{{rp|pg 15 }} Managed by the [[30th Space Wing]],<ref name="2000assess">{{cite web|url=http://www.fas.org/spp/military/facility/00feb_vafb_1.pdf |title=30th SPACE WING/VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE LAUNCH SITE SAFETY ASSESSMENT |accessdate=2008-08-31 |author=Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST) |date=February 2000 |format=PDF |work=Research Triangle Institute Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST) |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation }}</ref>{{rp|pg 25}} the '''WR''' extends from the West Coast of the United States to [[90th meridian east|90 degrees East longitude]] in the [[Indian Ocean]]<ref name="2000assess"/>{{rp|pg 27}} where it meets the [[Eastern Range]]<ref name="89asses">{{cite web |url=http://www.fas.org/spp/military/facility/western.pdf |title=BASELINE ASSESSMENT WESTERN SPACE AND MISSILE CENTER |accessdate=2008-06-02 |author=Mr. Loyd C. Parker |author2=Mr. Jerry D. Watson |author3=Mr. James F. Stephenson |date=July 1989 |format=PDF |publisher=RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE CENTER FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING FLORIDA OFFICE for U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION }}</ref>{{rp|pg 10}} Operations involve military, government, and commercial interests. The '''WR''' is operated under by a civilian contractor since its establishment, following the precedent of the Eastern Range. On 2003-10-01, InDyne Inc. took over the range contract from [[ITT Industries]] which had operated the range for the previous 44 years.<ref>{{cite web |
||
|url=http://www.indyneinc.com/homepage/Portals/0/news_articles/SantaMariaTimes2.pdf |title=New leader of Western Range signed at VAFB |accessdate=2008-06-02 |author=Janene Scully |date=2003-07-14 |format=PDF |work=Santa Maria Times (copy on InDyne website) |publisher=Pulitzer Central Coast Newspapers }}</ref> |
|url=http://www.indyneinc.com/homepage/Portals/0/news_articles/SantaMariaTimes2.pdf |title=New leader of Western Range signed at VAFB |accessdate=2008-06-02 |author=Janene Scully |date=2003-07-14 |format=PDF |work=Santa Maria Times (copy on InDyne website) |publisher=Pulitzer Central Coast Newspapers }}</ref> |
||
==History== |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
===Navy's Pacific Missile Range (PMR)=== |
|||
The Navy established the Naval Missile Facility at Point Arguello (NMFPA) after transfer from Army of 19,800 acres from the southern portion of Camp Cooke, a World War II training and POW facility then a maximum security Disciplinary Barracks site, in May 1958.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} Cooke Air Force Base, later [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]], was established on 64,000 acres of the northern portion.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} The Secretary of Defense directed the of the Navy to establish the Pacific Missile Range (PMR) with headquarters at [[Point Mugu]] and instrumentation sites along the California coast and downrange in the Pacific Ocean.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} By agreements between the Navy and the Air Force nearly all launches from Vandenberg came under the command and control of Navy and the PMR.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} |
|||
===Air Force—Western Test Range=== |
|||
Secretary of Defense [[Robert S. McNamara]] directed restructure of the missile ranges on 16 November 1963 with the effective date of 1 July 1964 on which major sections of the Navy's Pacific Missile Range were transferred to the United States Air Force.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} In a final transfer on 1 February 1965 the Air Force, with headquarters at Vandenberg Air Force Base, took control of [[Pillar Point Harbor|Pillar Point]], California, two sites in Hawaii, [[Canton Island]], [[Midway Island]], and [[Wake Island]] in the mid-Pacific as well as [[Eniwetok]] and [[Bikini Atoll]] in the [[Marshall Islands]].{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} Air Force also took control of the six range instrumented ships ''Huntsville'', ''Longview'', ''Range Tracker'', ''Richfield'', ''Sunnyvale'', and ''Watertown''.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} The Navy retained a missile test facility at [[Naval Air Station Point Mugu|Point Magu]].{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} In 1979 the name was shortened to simply the Western Test Range.{{sfn|30th Space Wing History Office}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
{{Incomplete|table|date=March 2009}} |
{{Incomplete|table|date=March 2009}} |
||
* 1959-02-28 - [[Discoverer 1]] - first spacecraft placed in a [[polar orbit]].<ref name="vandhist">{{cite web |
* 1959-02-28 - [[Discoverer 1]] - first spacecraft placed in a [[polar orbit]].<ref name="vandhist">{{cite web |
||
| Line 13: | Line 23: | ||
{{cite news |last=Lindsey|first=Clark |title=SpaceX moving quickly towards fly-back first stage |url=http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/spacex-moving-quickly-towards-fly-back-first-stage.html |accessdate=2013-03-29 |newspaper=NewSpace Watch |date=2013-03-28 |subscription=yes }}</ref> This will be the first high-altitude, high-velocity test of the [[SpaceX reusable launch system development program]]. |
{{cite news |last=Lindsey|first=Clark |title=SpaceX moving quickly towards fly-back first stage |url=http://www.newspacewatch.com/articles/spacex-moving-quickly-towards-fly-back-first-stage.html |accessdate=2013-03-29 |newspaper=NewSpace Watch |date=2013-03-28 |subscription=yes }}</ref> This will be the first high-altitude, high-velocity test of the [[SpaceX reusable launch system development program]]. |
||
== |
==See also== |
||
* [[Eastern Range]] |
* [[Eastern Range]] |
||
* [[Missile Range Instrumentation Ship]] |
* [[Missile Range Instrumentation Ship]] |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{Reflist| |
{{Reflist|2}} |
||
==Bibliography== |
|||
== External links == |
|||
{{refbegin}} |
{{refbegin}} |
||
*{{cite web |url=http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/nssrm/initiatives/westrang.htm |title=Western Range (U) |last=Federation of American Scientists |date= |work= |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |accessdate=16 June 2015 |ref={{sfnref|Federation of American Scientists}}}} |
|||
* |
*{{cite news |last1=Gruss|first1=Mike |title=Raytheon Team Wins $2 Billion Air Force Range Support Contract |url=http://spacenews.com/42473raytheon-team-wins-2-billion-air-force-range-support-contract/ |work=Space News |accessdate=8 April 2015 |date=6 April 2015 }} |
||
| ⚫ | |||
* |
*{{cite web |url=http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet_print.asp?fsID=4606 |title=U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet |last=30th Space Wing History Office |date= |publisher=30th Space Wing Public Affairs |accessdate=16 June 2015 |ref={{sfnref|30th Space Wing History Office}}}} |
||
*[http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a205116.pdf Western Test Range Handbook], Defense Technical Information Center, July 1981. |
*[http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a205116.pdf Western Test Range Handbook], Defense Technical Information Center, July 1981. |
||
| ⚫ | |||
{{spaceport}} |
|||
[[Category:Vandenberg Air Force Base]] |
[[Category:Vandenberg Air Force Base]] |
||
Revision as of 03:25, 17 June 2015
 | This article focuses only on one specialized aspect of the subject. (July 2013) |
The Western Range (WR)[1] is the space launch range that supports the major launch head at Vandenberg Air Force Base.[2]: pg 15 Managed by the 30th Space Wing,[3]: pg 25 the WR extends from the West Coast of the United States to 90 degrees East longitude in the Indian Ocean[3]: pg 27 where it meets the Eastern Range[4]: pg 10 Operations involve military, government, and commercial interests. The WR is operated under by a civilian contractor since its establishment, following the precedent of the Eastern Range. On 2003-10-01, InDyne Inc. took over the range contract from ITT Industries which had operated the range for the previous 44 years.[5]
History
The Navy established the Naval Missile Facility at Point Arguello (NMFPA) after transfer from Army of 19,800 acres from the southern portion of Camp Cooke, a World War II training and POW facility then a maximum security Disciplinary Barracks site, in May 1958.[6] Cooke Air Force Base, later Vandenberg Air Force Base, was established on 64,000 acres of the northern portion.[6] The Secretary of Defense directed the of the Navy to establish the Pacific Missile Range (PMR) with headquarters at Point Mugu and instrumentation sites along the California coast and downrange in the Pacific Ocean.[6] By agreements between the Navy and the Air Force nearly all launches from Vandenberg came under the command and control of Navy and the PMR.[6]
Air Force—Western Test Range
Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara directed restructure of the missile ranges on 16 November 1963 with the effective date of 1 July 1964 on which major sections of the Navy's Pacific Missile Range were transferred to the United States Air Force.[6] In a final transfer on 1 February 1965 the Air Force, with headquarters at Vandenberg Air Force Base, took control of Pillar Point, California, two sites in Hawaii, Canton Island, Midway Island, and Wake Island in the mid-Pacific as well as Eniwetok and Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.[6] Air Force also took control of the six range instrumented ships Huntsville, Longview, Range Tracker, Richfield, Sunnyvale, and Watertown.[6] The Navy retained a missile test facility at Point Magu.[6] In 1979 the name was shortened to simply the Western Test Range.[6]
Notable launches
 | This article is missing information about table. (March 2009) |
- 1959-02-28 - Discoverer 1 - first spacecraft placed in a polar orbit.[7][8]
- 2013-09-29 – Falcon 9 Flight 6, the first launch of the Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle from a privately developed leased launchpad at Vandenberg Air Force Base was used in an unusual post-mission launch vehicle test.[9] The first-stage booster of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will conduct a propulsive-return over-water test. After the second stage with the CASSIOPE payload separates from the booster, the booster will do a retro burn to reduce velocity from approximately Mach 10 (12,000 km/h; 7,600 mph) to a controllable descent velocity, and then a second burn just before it reaches the water to simulate a vertical landing of the first stage.[10] This will be the first high-altitude, high-velocity test of the SpaceX reusable launch system development program.
See also
References
- ^ Federation of American Scientists.
- ^ "Chapter 1: Eastern and Western Range Safety Policies and Processes 31 December 1999 Change to 1997 EWR" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ a b Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST) (February 2000). "30th SPACE WING/VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE LAUNCH SITE SAFETY ASSESSMENT" (PDF). Research Triangle Institute Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST). Federal Aviation Administration Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Mr. Loyd C. Parker; Mr. Jerry D. Watson; Mr. James F. Stephenson (July 1989). "BASELINE ASSESSMENT WESTERN SPACE AND MISSILE CENTER" (PDF). RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE CENTER FOR SYSTEMS ENGINEERING FLORIDA OFFICE for U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ Janene Scully (2003-07-14). "New leader of Western Range signed at VAFB" (PDF). Santa Maria Times (copy on InDyne website). Pulitzer Central Coast Newspapers. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i 30th Space Wing History Office.
- ^ 30th SW Public Affairs. "Space Vehicles : History Office : History Office". Retrieved 2008-08-31.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "NASA - NSSDC - Spacecraft - Details NSSDC ID: 1959-002A". Retrieved 2008-08-31.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (2013-03-27). "After Dragon, SpaceX's focus returns to Falcon". NewSpace Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
- ^
Lindsey, Clark (2013-03-28). "SpaceX moving quickly towards fly-back first stage". NewSpace Watch. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|subscription=ignored (|url-access=suggested) (help)
Bibliography
- Federation of American Scientists. "Western Range (U)". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Gruss, Mike (6 April 2015). "Raytheon Team Wins $2 Billion Air Force Range Support Contract". Space News. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
- 30th Space Wing History Office. "U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet". 30th Space Wing Public Affairs. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Western Test Range Handbook, Defense Technical Information Center, July 1981.
 | This rocketry article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |